Where do we go now but nowhere?
by Thylja
Summary: A short interlude, a secret moment the prince is able to steal with someone who took something precious from him.Set between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within.A short, dreamy piece. R&R please.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything, not even the title.

It's a one-shot and it' most likely set beween „The Sands of Time" and „Warrior Within".

I hope someone's gonna read it.

_Where do we go now but nowhere?_

There it was again...

that hooded figure that seemed to be omnipresent but seemingly unseen all over town. The last weeks it, and I think that is the best way to desribe that shadow, it felt as if it followed me wherever I went.

I didn't know if it was male or female, or even human, for all I know it could be a demon, lingerin in the dark, watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and capture my soul.

But it was a tall figure with a dark cloak that allowed it to merge with the shadows, unseen to those who were not supposed to see it.

I had seen it,coming around corners to immediately disappear into the shade and out of sight, a motion like a blurr, an imagination perhaps. Or maybe I was just getting paranoid. Could I tell?

Sometimes, in the evening hours I had seen something shiny under the cloak that was wrapped around him like a second skin, part of the shadow itself. Maybe some kind of weapon, or jewelry.

And as tempting as it would have been normally, to try and steal it, I couldn't. I didn't dare to.

It often seemed to be around when I returned from a day at the bazar, where I had been doing my daily business. Watching, waiting? For some reason I was not scared though.

Anything that could phsysically hurt me would have had the guts to face me by now, I was not much of a frightening or impressive figure, which was good for my everyday business actually. If it was anything else... I would probably call it fate.

Tonight the feeling of being watched caught me again, it started on my way back home through the dark alleyways of Babylon.

A woman on her own shouldn't be out by herself at this hour, although the people of Babylon were wealthy people, happy with themselves, their trading and their sultan, there were always „others". People who came here to profit from the working people's wealth, thieves, gamblers... all kind of shady characters.

The night was their time. In the moonless darkness they would sneak up on their prey and take whatever they could... jewelry, money, or in some cases, someone's life.

It didn't bother me though. Doing my daily work I was used to shady characters around me, on the little markets in those little sidestreets, where one would get the best price for one's goods.

Tonight I had walked faster than normal though. I had been successful, my pockets were filled and I was not too eager to make use of my dagger to defend my belongings against some third class robber.

It was a warm evening, rare even on the edge of the dessert, a gentle breeze moved my curtains in a slow, lazy rythm as I emptied my pockets on the table. It was a beautiful night, the sky was jetblack and the stars were shining like little diamonds far, far away.

I didn't remember how long I just stood there staring out into this silent, peaceful night, lost admiring the simple beauty of the moment.

A low, gravely voice interrupted me rather abruptly and brought me back to the moment, scaring my soul out of me.

I just reacted, ripping the dagger from my belt and then turned around as quickly as I could, the shock still paralyzed me.

Despite the shock of the voice itself ripping me out of my thoughts, seeing the hooded figure in my dimly lit hideout somehow didn't surprise me.

„You", the hooded figure had said in a deep, gravely, rumbling voice, a young voice though. And definitely a human voice.

„What do you want from me?" Somehow I managed to choke those words out in a hoarse voice... my throat felt as if I had wandered the dessert with no water.

„You are in posession of something I want."

I just stood there staring at him. My shadow stalker for the past months had revealed himself and I somehow had a hard time believing it.

But here he was, standing in my hideaway, tall, the cloak hiding his face, male with broad shoulders and muscles like a warrior or soldier. Even with my dagger I wouldn't stand a chance against him.

„I don't have anything that would belong to you unless you sold it to me! Everything I have I purchased honestly... Please... take my money and leave me alone!"

My voice went from coarse to high pitched and very thin within half that sentence.

The tall figure chuckled lightly.

„A thief who claims honesty. Not too convincing."

He walked over to the table and reached out for a golden amulett that lay on it. I cursed myself for leaving it out in the open like that, it was probably the most valuable piece I had „purchased" today.

„That? Oh, just take it... and leave me alone!"

„Oh I will."

He looked at the amulett for a moment before it disappeared under the dark cloak and then turned towards me.

„But there is more."

With those words he lifted the hood of his cape, opened the front and let it drop to the floor. Revealed was a tall, dark haired man, the hair messy and not very neatly trimmed, pale, way lighter than most people around here and with piercing blue eyes.

He wore a leather armor, heavy linen pants and heavy boots, a warrior's attire, protecting him from dangerous blows but yet not hiding his strength. In combination with those piercing blue eyes and a face that was way too beautiful for the warrior he seemed to be... he stunned me.

There was something fierce about him, something about his tall and proud stance that made me shiver. He looked at me as if I were a price, prey that he would hunt and take.

„What else do you want? Why don't you just go?"

He brushed back the hair that had fallen over his eyes and then gave me a hint of a smile, that smoothened his features and took away the fierceness.

Something about him even seemed familiar to me... I suddenly knew that I had seen him before. He was not a burglar wrapped in a cloak, hiding in the shadows... I remebered him differently. I shrieked as it dawned on me, stumbled backwards and fell to my knees,

„You... you're the prince."

He came towards me and extended a strong, calloused hand to help me up.

„So?"

He drew me not just up, but close to him so I could feel the warmth of his skin tingling against my own.

„What could you possibly want from me?"

He wouldn't have needed to say the words, the look in his eyes, even the way his breath slightly quickened foretold what he was going to say.

„You."

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The End.


End file.
